Apparatus for saturating material



DSC. 1, 1936. 1, H, Wg-:LLERl i 2,062,382 APPARATUS FOR'SATURATING MATERIAL A Fild May 18, 1952 Wv/ PER-Rous F JJ F f@ Ob SA T URA T10/V TAN K Arrow/H- Patented Dec. 1,1936 2,062,382

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR SATURA'IlING MATERIAL John H. Weller, Narberth, Pa., assignor to The Barber Asphalt Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of West Virginia Application May 18, 1932, Serial No. 611,956

2 Claims. (Cl. 91-32) This invention relates to the improvement in nection with the manufacture of composition an apparatus for saturating material and more roong, since where the base is insuiciently satparticularly for saturating fabric or felt matelurated, more coating material, which is more exrial in the strip. pensive than the saturating material, is required 5 The apparatus, in accordance with this inventhan were the base completely saturated. 5 tion, while adaptable for the saturating of any Now, in accordance with this invention, an

material with any substance with which it is to apparatus is provided whereby fabric or felted be saturated, will be found more especially admaterial, as, for example, felt, may be completely vantageous in the saturation of felt f or use in saturated and voids eliminated.

the production of composition roong, such as 'Ihe operation of the machine of this inven- 10 comprises a felt base saturated with a bitumen, tion, involves subjecting the material to be satas asphalt, and in certain cases finally surfaced urated to a bath of saturant heated to render with granular material as slate, glazed granules, it desirably fluid and ultimately cooling as by or the like. Since the apparatus embodying this the usual festooning. -The flooded material how- ]5 invention lends itself to the saturation of feltin ever, on leaving the saturating bath and 'before 15 connection with the production of composition it is ultimately cooled, is passed through an area roong, the invention will be described illustraor chamber at a suitable temperature such that tively in such connection, without, however, in the material will fully absorb the saturant with any wise limiting the invention or its adaptability the elimination of voids. The use of squeeze to the saturation of other materials with other rolls is avoided and the hooded material on leav- I substances for whatever purpose the saturated ing the saturating bath is merely subjected to the materials may be intended. action of wiper, bars or rolls which are adjusted In, for example, the saturation of felt with a to leave such an excess of saturant on the surbituminous substance, as asphalt, as heretofore faces of the material as will be substantially abeiected, the felt in a strip has been led through sorbed into the material in the absorption chama saturating tank containing a supply of asphalt loerheated to render it desirably fluid. The flooded The apparatus embodying the invention will, felt, on leaving the saturating tank and carrying it is believed, be clearly understood from the folthe hot asphalt, has customarily been passed lowing detailed description of the apparatus and through a set of squeeze rolls for the removal of of its operation, all with reference to the accom- 30 excess asphalt, and then festooned to permit panying drawing in Which a Preferred form 0f the asphan saturant to cool. The cooling has apparatus, in accordance with this invention, is been effected at atmospheric temperature and dagrammatieally ShoWnthe passage through the squeeze rolls on leaving In the drawing, A indicates a saturating tank 3;, the saturating tank has been essential in order Containing a body of asphalt B maintained in a 35 to avoid gumming up of the festoon rolls or bars desirably fluid Condition by heating in any Sutby excess of saturant. able well known manner toa temperature of, say The saturated-felt prepared by methods hereabout 400 F. C indicates an absorption Charntofore known has not proved entirely satisfacber which may be formed atthe discharge end of 40 tory, primarily because of incomplete saturathe'SatuI'ating tank by means of a partition D. 40 tion due to the removal of too much of the sator which may, if desired, be a Separate Chamberurant by the action of the squeeze rolls, which The chamber C provides an area or chamber iny not only act to remove excess saturant, but due which the material saturated in tank A is affordto the highly iiuid condition of the saturanl; cared time to fully absorb the saturant with the ried by the felt on its passage through the squeeze elimination of voids. E indicates any usual and 45 rolls, the squeeze rolls act more or less as a well known festooning or looping mechanism Wringer and leave in the felt insuicient saturant equipped With the .usual feed rolls r and a rider to completely iill the voids in the felt. In comroll y. position rooflng where the felt base is incom- The saturating tank Ais provided with suitable pletely saturated, or, in other Words, where there driven rolls F and guide rolls -G about which a 50 are voids in the felt base, the life of the roofing strip of.. for example, felt H, to be'saturated, iS is deleteriously affected, since in the course of led through the body of asphalt B in the tank and time moisture is enabled to enter the base to its becomes 'flooded therewith.- Between the reaches ultimate, rapid deterioration. An incompletely of the strip of felt, in its extension from the drivsaturated base is further disadvantageous in conen rolls F to idle rolls GfK/are positioned scrap- 5 ers I which act to remove excess asphalt from the surfaces of the strip prior to its passage successively from the body of asphalt B over the successive driven rolls F.

Ahead of the driven roll F, over which the flooded strip passes on finally leaving the body of asphalt B, a pair of wiper rolls or bars y', 7 are lpositioned and betweenwhich the flooded strip passes. The rolls or bars a', i are adjusted so that they will remove from the surfaces of the strip such excess asphalt as will not be absorbed by the strip in its passage through chamber C.

The flooded strip on leaving the saturating tank A passes through the absorption chamber C in a snuous path over rolls K and L, each of which is driven from any suitable source of power through shaft M and gearing N.v The absorption chamber C is maintained at a temperature sufilcient to maintain the asphalt on the surfaces of the strip in a fluid condition enabling its absorption into the voids in the body of the strip.

` The desired temperature may be the same or above or below the temperature of-the saturating water and may be, for example, about 300 F. (or say within the range of 200400 F.), and may be maintained in the absorption chamber C through steam heating of theA rolls K and L, or suiiicient heating may be obtained by conduction through the partition D from the saturating chamber, or the chamber C may be insulated and sufficient temperature obtained by radiation of heat from the iiooded strip.

On leaving the absorption chamber, `the strip is lead to any usual form of festooning mechanism in which it is formed into loops or festoons P and permitted to finally cool under the inuence of room temperature or in a stream of cooled air, or in any other well known manner.

In connection with the apparatus above described, it may be noted that the saturating tank may be of any well known type. Thus, for example, the saturating tank may be in accordance with that described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,698,253. Likewise, the festooning mechanism may be of any well known type such as, for example, that described in detail in United State Letters Patent No. 1,549,743.

It will now be observed that the apparatus, in

aoeasaa accordance with this invention, involves in comi bination essentially a saturating tank, an absorption chamber, and a festooning mechanism for finally cooling, the absorption chamber being maintained at a temperature such that the saturant carried bythe ilooded material and especially on the surfaces thereof will be maintained fluid forabsorption into the body of the material.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended that this invention shall be limited to the details of the apparatus as above described, since it is appreciated that various modifications in the apparatus may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which, as has been indicated, may be used in connection with the saturation of various materials, with various saturants,I for various purposes.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. Apparatus for saturating strip material, including in combination a saturating tank adapted to contain a'body of saturant maintained in a fluid condition by heat, an absorption chamber adapted to receive the ooded strip as discharged from the saturating tank and to maintain it out of contact with the body of saturant, means for passing a. iiooded stripthrough the absorption chamber in a snuous path, a festoonirig mechanism adapted to receive the strip from the absorption chamber, and means operative to partially remove excess saturant from the surface only of the strip prior to its entering into the absorption chamber.

` 2. Apparatus for saturating strip material, .including in combination a saturating tank adapted to contain a body of saturant maintained in a fluid condition by heat, an absorption chamber adapted to receive the flooded strip from the saturating tank and to maintain it out of contact with the body of saturant, means for maintaining an elevated temperature in the absorption cham ber, festooning mechanism adapted to receive the strip from the absorption chamber, and means for partially removing excess saturant from-the surface only of the strip in its passage to the absorption chamber.

JOHN H. WELLER. 

